Improvement in fire-escapes



E. M. BALL. Fire-Escape.

No. 215,713. Patented May 27,1879.

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#2? e e I N. PETERS. PIOTO UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ED\VABD M. BALL, OF STANSTEAD, QUEBEC, CANADA.

IMPROVEMENT lN FlRE-ESCAPES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 215,713, dated May 27,1879 application tiled March 19, 18,79.

To all whom it may concern: The spool G is journaled at one end in theBe it known that I, EDWARD MOSES BALL, of Stanstead, in the county ofStanstead and Province of Quebec, Canada, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Fire- Escapes; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear and exact description of the invention, whichwill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and toletters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

The object of my invention is to provide a compact and convenient deviceso simple in construction as to be easily worked by any one not familiarwith machinery, and which will permit the escape of any number ofpersons (one at a time) from a window, roof, or portico of the upperstories of buildings of any height.

It consists, first, in inclosin g within a case of iron or other metal aspool (carrying a rope of sufficient strength) connected by gearing to acoiled spring, which, as the person descends, will be wound up, and thusmade to serve to rewind the rope on the spool, in order that anotherperson may take advantage of the means thus afforded for escape; second,in a metallic friction-strap brake, automatically worked by a governor,which serves to regulate the speed of descent to a sufficiently moderatedegree to prevent injury when reaching the ground.

A A is the case; B, the cap; (J, the spool; D, the intermediate doublegear-wheel, and E the sprin Figure 1 represents a vertical transversesection taken on the line 2 z of the case; Fig. 2, the cap B, a portionof the spool G, and the governor of a machine embodying my invention.Fig.3 is an interior sectional view, taken on the lineyy, Fig. 1, of thecap B and frictionstrap m. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line :0 as ofFig. 2.

The case is composed of two parts, A being the cylindrical part, withthe vertical ribbed plate surmounted by the eye 6, and A the back, beinga ribbed plate conforming in shape to the contour of the spring E,double gearwheel D, and spoolC, the plates A A and the cap B serving asa frame, in which are the bearings for the machinery within.

cap B, and at the other in the back A of the case. Near the left-han dend of the spool-sh aft 8 is mounted and securely fastened thereto apinion, w, which gears with the periphery of the wheel D, the smallerwheel of which gears with the wheel 4;, mounted on the shaft u. Thecoiled spring E is hooked to this shaft in the usual-manner, the outerend'of the spring be ing attached to the pin it in any substantialmanner.

The spool C may carry any kind'of rope 5 but I prefer to use wire-ropecomposed of very fine wire. The rope should be wound on the said spoolin such a manner that when unwinding the tension of spring E, by meansof its connections, will be increased to the extent necessary to rewindthe rope.

A person being attached to the free end of the rope, (which passesthrough the case by the opening 0 at the bottom of the cylindricalportion,) by means of a belt or other safe contrivance, the speed ofdescent is regulated by the governor, composed of the parts andoperating as follows:

The weights a a are rigidly connected by arms i z" to the heads jj,respectively, which are pivoted on the pins h h, screwed or otherwisesecured to the contiguous flange of the spool O. The head j carries apin, is, the said flange carrying a similar one, g. Inwardly-projectingknobs l l enter a connecting-block, 01, having for its axis thespool-shaft 8, thus connecting the weight a with the one to, making thecentrifugal force of the latter to supplement that of the weight a. Thecentrifugal force generated by the motion of the spool O separates theweights a and a, which, swinging on the pins h h, causes the pins 9 and7a to approach each other, and they, beingconnected to an ordinarymetallic friction-strap, m, which encircles the inwardly circularportion of the cap B, cause the said friction-strap to be drawn closelyin contact with it, creating friction, which arrests the speed of thespool O and its connections. To counteract the centrifugal force of theweights to a, and prevent them acting until the requisite speed isattained, the spri n g fis provided. Said spring is secured to theconnecting-block d, as shown in Fig. 1, its free end bearing on the headj. The tension or force with which the spring so bears determines thetension of the friction-strap m, and, consequently, the speed ofdescent, a stiffer spring causing the revolutions of the spool O to bemore rapid.

To attach the machine to a window, roof, or portico, any desired form ofgrapple may be connected with. the eye 0.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination, with the spool or cylinder 0and case A B, of the weights c a, connected thereto by arms i 6, blocksj j, knobs l l, and block 61, and a frictional device, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination with the spool 0, case A B, and a frictional device,of the weights to to, having the arms 13 i, connected to blocks j j,provided with knobs Z 1, attached to a block,

d, upon the shaft of the spool O, and spring f, attached to the block(I, and bearing against one of the blocksjj, substantially as and,forthe purpose specified.

3. The spring E and gears v, D, and w, acting in combination with thespool O and governor,

made as described, also with the cap B, case A A, and eye 6, the wholeto operate substantially as and for the purpose stated.

4. The combination,with theinclosed weights a a and spool 0, to whichthe weights are connected by mechanism consisting of the arms M,blocksjj, knobs Z l, and block d, of the pins 9 k, connected to afriction-strap, m, embracing an inner head upon the inclosing-case,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination, with the inclosed spring

